Friday, July 28, 2006

The new session at the KGMU is all set to begin from August 1. Ragging, fake certificates, security and accommodation of the freshers would be few issues that would top the priority of the administration for next few months. Our correspondent spoke to VK Singh, Proctor of the King Georges Medical University, regarding the preparations that the University has doneto protect them from ragging and welcome the freshers to oneof the well known medical institutions of India

Ragging in medical institutions have been well known and KGMU has a record of having students leave the institution following ragging. How does the university plan to tackle this problem?We have made it clear that any senior student caught ragging the juniors would be suspended for at least six months. Moreover, we have also arranged extra security for the freshers. I have already selected four guards who will be on round-the-clock duty with the freshers and they will escort these feshers to classes as well as to the hostels, so that they cannot be caught by any senior for ragging. We expect that with these security guards around none of the senior students will muster courage to rag the juniors.

It is known that the maximum number of ragging cases are reported from outside the campus rather than within the campus. Does the university have any plan to to restrict such incidents?Since one of our hostels is located in the trans-Gomti area, the freshers, on their way to the hostel, are caught by the seniors. However, this year, we have made an arrangement to accommodate these students in one of the newly-constructed block of Chakrovarty Hostel within the campus. Thus, that problem has also been solved. Moreover, we have also made arrangements for day scholars to come in casual wear and change into their required dress-code in these hostels meant for hostelers and again before they go home. In that case, they cannot be identified outside the campus.

The security given by the institution remains only till the hostel gate, but there have been reports of ragging inside the hostels as well, after evening.It is true that many a times, students report of ragging inside the hostels. Keeping this in mind, we have decided to deploy two security guards round the clock outside TG Hostel for Boys as well as VL hostel for Girls. One of these guards would also carry a weapon. Moreover, since a male security guard cannot enter the girls hostel at night, we have selected a lady security guard for duty outside the girls hostel, so that in case there is a need to check the hostel at night, it can be done so without any hesitation.

Each year there are complaints of poor facilities at the hostels, be it the kitchen or the toilets. What should the new batch of 2006 expect to see in their first year of accommodation at the campus?KGMU is expanding day-by-day and even extensions of the old hostels have been constructed. We have also got all the hostels cleaned up before the arrival of the new batch. The new CV Hostel with extended capacity of 100 students is one of them. Thus, this year they should not be any complaints of poor infrastructure at the university.

Even while documents are being verified, there have been cases of students being allotted colleges at lower percentages. There have also been cases where students had taken admission in the University on the basis of fake documents. How will university tackle them this year?As far as the case of students with low percentage is concerned, we are diverting these cases to the Director General of Medical Education because this is the mistake of a particular counselling centre and thus has to be handled by the DGME. As far as taking admission on fake documents is concerned, this year we have taken only provisional admission of the new students and have sent the caste and other related certificates for verification to various districts. The admission of each student will be confermed only after all their records are verified. Thus in case of fake documents being found, we have reserved the right to cancel the admission of any student.

How have you planned the first day of the freshers at the KGMU? When would they be given a freshers' party?We have sorted out the plan for the first day of these students and they will all be required to gather at 11am at the Brown Hall, where they will be welcomed by me and then a member of the proctorial board will acquaint them with the history of the KGMU as per tradition. Then, these students will be given an introduction of each department. The fresher party will be organised six weeks after the start of the session, as the tradition goes.